Abstract
Efficient and clean combustion is vital in combustion systems, but achieving perfect fuel-air mixing is challenging. Gas turbine combustors use multiple swirlers to improve mixing and stabilize flames. This study investigates a 3D-printed triple-swirler burner (TSB) to enhance gas turbine combustion systems. The TSB was tested in a vertically configured apparatus, with air passing through before exiting. Experimental and numerical methods were used to study the flow field downstream of the TSB. Different TSB designs with varying swirl numbers and rotational directions were tested at different airflow rates. The experimental data obtained using Stereo Particle Image Velocimetry (SPIV) and the CFD results using Large Eddy Simulation (LES) provided insight into flow physics and helped optimize the design of the TSB. Simulation outcomes are presented and compared with experimental data at the exact locations in the flow field. Results showed that TSB2 had a longer residence time than TSB1. Strong bubble vortex breakdown (BVB) was observed in the upstream region, caused by the counter-rotating tertiary swirler. Downstream, weak conical vortex breakdown (CVB) was observed as the tertiary swirler’s influence diminished.
